Windshield wiper



Feb. 9, 1954 R. DEIBEL.Y 2,668,725

WINDSHIELD WIPER Filed Dec. 2s, 1949 INVENTOR,

Rayma/7d De/be/ BY @14ml @m @WMA/QM ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE accedas WINDsHIELn WIPER Raymond Deibel, East Aurora, N. Y., assig'nor to Trico Products Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application December 23, 1949, serial No. 134,811 6 claims. (Cl. 2st-20.5)

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the Windshield cleaning art and has particular reference to the connection between the wiper and its actuating arm. In this type of connection which is in Widespread use, the wiping blade has an arm coupler or attaching clip which is provided with a chamber into which the free end of the arm is insertible and interlocked with the assistance of a chamber enclosed spring that necessitated a special mounting and therefore involved an item of expense in its manufacture and installation.

The object of the present invention is to provide an economical arm and blade coupler of this character in which the spring mounting is greatly facilitated.

Further, the invention has for its object to provide a wiper arm attachment which is simple and durable in construction and one in which the latch spring is given a freedom of bodily movement that will readily adjust itself to the arm when engaged therewith.

The above and other objects will manifest themselves as the following description progresses, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation depicting a practical application of the invention; l

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary longitudinal sections illustrating the spring in action; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view about on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. i

Referring more particularly to the drawing. the numeral I designates the wiper actuating shaft, 2 its oscillating arm, and 3 the wiper blade which is connected to the outer end of the arm by means of the attaching clip.

The clip or coupling member is in the form of a housing 4 having a chamber 5 with an entranceway 6 through which latter the arcuate terminal 'I of the wiper carrying arm 2 is inserted to engage its keeper lug 8 in a guide slot 9 behind a shoulder l0 normally for obstructing withdrawal of the arm. The lug 8 and shoulder I0 are yieldably supported in cooperative relationship by a spring.

This spring is floatingly disposed within the chamber 5 for free bodily movement and may be shaped from fiat spring stock to provide an arcuate arm seat II and depending legs I2 for supporting the body or seat portion II in its operative position against the convex undersurface of the arcuate end 1. The free ends of the supporting legs I2 are preferably cut square across to cooperate with a flat supporting surface I4 on the back of the wiper blade 3 in normalizing or erecting the latter on the windshield surface during periods of inactivity. `The legs I2 converge downwardly to underlie the arm seat II and are free to fold under to a greater extent to enablethe seat yielding and tilting during placement and displacement of the arm, somewhat as indicated by the dot and dash showing in Fig. 2 and the full line position of Fig. 3. In effect the parts I I and I2 form a spring frame of a resilient and yieldable character which is loose and rockably mounted within the clip chamber 5 and reacts upon the arm terminal to assume a normal upright position when the wiper is operatively engaged with the arm. The spring frame, being loosely conned within the clip chamber, is quickly assembled without any special mounting, the spring being dropped within the chamber 5 when invented and preliminary to mounting the clip on the blade.

The clip may be attached to vthe blade either flxedly or pivotally. `In the illustrated embodiment the channeled holder I5 of the blade has a pair of oppositely extending pintles I6 struck therefrom, at the opposite ends of the flat back portion I4, for pivoting in bearings I'I in the end walls I8 of the clip.

The clip may be economically stamped from sheet metal and shaped to provide the wiper chamber 5 with the end walls I8, the back wall I9 and the side walls 2U. When shaped to form the clip, it is apparent that either end wall I8 may be sprung outwardly to disengage or reengage the pintles IE in its bearings I'I. The slot 9 and the entranceway 6 are both formed in the back wall I9 which latter is shaped for nesting in the arcuate terminal or tongue 1. The hat back portion I4 constitutes a bottom wall for the chamber 5.

In operation, when the tongue is inserted through the entranceway 6, it initially depresses and rocks the spring frame, as shown in Fig. 3, and as the lug 8 is slid along the convex back wall surface into the slot 9 it will cause the spring frame to assume an upright position within the chamber to hold the tongue nested on the back wall as well as in the seat. For removing the wiper from the arm, the free end of the latter is depressed within the chamber to disengage the lug 8 and thereafter it is withdrawn as shown by the broken lines of Fig. 2.

The clip and its spring are readily assembled with respect to each other and on the back of the wiping blade. 'Ihe construction is economical and practical. and while the description has been given in detail. it is apparent that the teachings of the invention, the formation of the housing and its cooperative relationship with the spring frame, are capable of assuming other physical embodiments Without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wiper havinga ilatback portion,` an elongate coupling member secured tosaid back portion longitudinally thereof and formed with a chamber opening toward the back portion; `-said member having a longitudinally extending arcuate top Wall portion opposite said back portion and an arm receiving fentranceopening' at` one end of said Wall portion,I an armrinterlo'cking shoulder in said arcuatef-wallportionr extending transversely thereof and a spring `trans- Versely iiat in cross section and loosely conned in said chamber, said springhaving an arcuate farm Vseat portion nesting lwith saidv arcuate Wall l v-`portion'l-and vsquare endedasupportin'g:leg `por- '1" tions; said`Y leg portions *being lrcontinuous with said seat portion at the 'endsfthereof andturned f v'thereunder withjtheir fendsvbea'ring onsaid -back portion in downwardly,7` converging vlproximity Withfeach other.

2. A Wiper having acouplingi* chamberfprovided Withfazconvexwback Wall and an' opposing l' @bottom Wall, the lback-iwallhaving anlarm interfllocking shoulder wand -fthe' chamberA` yhaving an 'arm' receivingf-opening, and -a `terminal :depressible springlooselyfvconilned vwithin the chamber and having an #arcuate 'terminal-receiving seat nestingly "related to `the convex `back Wall and i' having a'me'dialunderlyingresilientfportion rockf able/upon ithe'dbottom-Wall andf'yieldable to tilt A the -s'eat ffrom fthe Ilbackwallfor lintroducing an f arm'terminal.

3. A windshieldwiper xhaving anarm coupling part, 'said' i coupling .part @comprising a' yhousing i'=having-achamber `iwith afconvex back Wall and an opposing bottomvtvall, 'theffbaclc Wall vhaving "a shoulder :and 'the :chamberhaving an `opening 1. 1 'through :which faniarm terminal fmay befinserted to' interlockinglysiengagesuclrterminal over the shoulder, and a termlnalereceiv'ing:seatfhaving f resilient -Jend'sportions3 ,angularly extended under l: @the Smedial :portion `of vthe rseat andi resiliently f vbearing on l.the bottom wall to" rockably f support the seat.

:4. 'A .Windshiel'dwiper :havingJa ,coupling.;part,

saidcoupling partfcomprisingcaf-housing having a chamber with a convex back wall and an opposing bottom Wall, the back wall having a, shoulder and the chamber having an opening through which an arm terminal may be inserted to inter- 5 lockingly engage such terminal over the shoulder. and a terminal-receiving seat `having resilient end portions angularly extended under the medial portion of the seat and resiliently bearing on the bottom Wall to rockably support .fthe seat, said r10 seat being concave lengthwise and loosely nesting with respect to the back wall to limit the rocking of the seat. ff V5. A Windshield Wiper coupling comprising a chambered housing provided with a bottom Wall lf-'anda baclrwa'llhaving a shoulder, said chamber having anarm receiving opening, and a terminal- ,depressibleaspring arranged Within the chamber and having a medial terminal-receiving seat porf ftionwith underlying resilient legs extending con- 20 vergently from adjacent the opposite ends of the 1 ,seat. portion- .the ifree ends ofetherlegsgslidably resting uponsthe ibottom Wall to :.enableione end :ai of .the seat portion tocbe :rockedayvay'ifrom the back.-.Wall',.` :such end of the :seat portionazbeing 25.' exposed: .through the arm'#,'freceiving opening to n an ientering; terminal for engagementthereby to i. vso ,rockzthez seatvportion in facilitating theinter- :i ,'lockingengagement.

u 6. Aiwindshieldzwiper :havingfa coupling :hous- 30. -ing for receivingfthe curved terminalfofamactuif atingfarm, saidrhousingf-hav-,ing:achamber-with abackvwall' andan'- opposing-bottom ...wally the "..backrwallfhaving anzarmfenga-gingshoulder and lthezchamber. :having .an-farmfreceiving opening. 3 5.. fand 'a l:termiilal--eepressible y 1 spring substantially triangular in shape having one side l.opposing the :r -backwall tofhold aninsertedterminalinterlocked y'withthe -shoulder- :and its'fopposite apex `:rockably 'engaging the bottomfwall to enable'the @new side 4:0 vbeing tilted'zfrom -the fbackf-.wallgforaeasing the u; insertion and "interlockingof such terminal.

RAYMOND "DEIBEL lReferences Cited in rth'eliile of 'Fthisi'ipatent 

